


Said too much

by EzLuna13



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Abuse, Child Abuse, F/F, Magic, Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:14:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23837410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzLuna13/pseuds/EzLuna13
Summary: Sybil accidentally tells Mildred more than she meant to, leading to Mildred finding out the Hallow children are being abused
Relationships: Hardbroom/Pentangle (Worst Witch)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 34





	1. Temper

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own the worst witch.  
> Feedback is welcome.

It was during potions that she snapped. She was sick of HB putting her down, having a go at her, comparing her to her sisters. It was bound to get to her eventually. 

"We never had this trouble with either of your sisters, so why do insist on being so ignorant?" Miss Hardbroom shouted angrily. 

Sybil had enough. Miss Hardbroom had been ranting at her for the past five minutes, but that last sentence put her over the edge.

She stood up and her stool fell to the floor with a loud clatter. She didn't make any movement to pick it up.

"You think I _choose_ to be how I am? I wish I did have Ethel or Esme's brains and wit, if it would get you off my back! But no matter how much you wish I was, I am not them. If you have a problem with that, then there is no point in me being here." Sybil grabbed her bag and walked towards the door.

"Miss Hallow, sit yourself back down this _instant_!" Miss Hardbroom cried. Sybil ignored her and shut the door with a slam.

The class was silent with shock. No one left Miss Hardbroom's classes without permission. Ever. Clarice and Bea shared a look. Sybil was in deep trouble. 

Sybil herself had stormed through the corridors, not paying any attention to where She was walking. She didn't see Mildred until it was too late.

"Ow!" Mildred said as Sybil banged into her.

"Sorry." Sybil said shortly, and carried on walking. Mildred watched her. Sybil doesn't normally stomp, and her voice was harsh when she apologized. Mildred ran after her.

"Sybil wait!" Sybil spun around to face her as she caught up, our of breath. Mildred sat on the bottom step of the staircase, and gestured for Sybil to do the same. She did, reluctantly.

Mildred caught her breath and looked Sybil in the eye.

"What happened? Why aren't you in potions?"

"Why aren't you in chanting?"

"Free period. Answer me, Sybil."

"I felt ill."

"The truth, Sybil. Miss Hardbroom doesn't let students leave it they feel ill, and you look as if you are about to breathe fire. What happened?"

"FIne. I walked out. Happy?"

"No, not really. Why did you walk out?"

"Because I'm sick of her! all she does is criticize me, mock me, and compare me to my sisters! She doesn't see that I am my own person." Mildred sat in silence, letting Sybil vent it out.

"She doesn't know what it's like! Esme is treated like a prized possession, Ethel is ignored, and I'm pushed, so hard. We are all constantly being told we have to be better, smarter, even Ethel! And when Ethel left for Cackle's, I was at home on my own. I was the centre of attention, and I hated it! One mistake, one small mistake and they would-" Sybil clapped her hand over her mouth.

"I have to go!" She tried to run but Mildred grabbed her arm and dragged her back onto the step. She didn't let go, just in case she tried to bolt again. Sybil glared at her

"Sybil, what did they to you?" Sybil shook her, head, tears falling down her cheeks. "I- I c-can't tell you. Or they'll-" Sybil cut herself off.

"Did they hurt you, Sybil? Did they physically hurt you?" Sybil shook her head but then stopped, and nodded slowly. Mildred tried not to growl or show how angry she was.

"Did they hurt Ethel and Esme?" There was not point in hiding it now. She nodded again.

"How much?" Sybil shrunk away as best as she could, terrified of the fury in Mildred's voice, and winced at the vice like grip Mildred had on her arm. Mildred sensed her discomfort and loosened her trip on Sybil slightly, and tried to relax herself.

"How often did they hurt you, Sybil?" She said, much softer.

Sybil opened her mouth to answer but no words came out .

"Take your time." 

Sybil breathed slowly and tried again. "When more than one of us were at home, not as much. And then it would just be a smack or a small beating. But if it was just one, all attention was on you, and they got much worse. The year Ethel went to school, they-" She chocked back a sob.

"Breathe, Sybil." Mildred voice was shaking. She gently took hold of Sybil's chin and forced her to look into her eyes. "Calm down, you're safe here."

"No I'm not, they said it we told, then they would give us a punishment we would never forget."

"They already sound unforgettable." Mildred muttered to herself. "Sybil, you are not going back there, okay? I will speak to the teachers and-"

"No, you can't!"

"I'm sorry Sybil, I have to. You won't be able to change my mind."

"Please." Sybil whispered. Mildred softened but didn't change her mind. She stood up, dragging Sybil with her, and led her up to the first year dormitories.

"Bea, Clarice, look after her." Bea and Clarice nodded, having just finished potions. Mildred took them aside.

"Don't ask her any questions, just try to distract her." They nodded solemnly as they saw the serious look on Mildred's face.

"Miss Hardbroom first." Mildred said to herself as she walked towards the potions lab. She opened the door and closed it loudly, alerting Miss Hardbroom of her presence.

"Mildred Hubble, what-"

"Why did you say those things to Sybil?"

"Mildred, you have no right to-"

"Answer me." Mildred's tone was so much like her own that Miss Hardbroom was shocked to silence.

"She fails to make the simplest of potions, and is a bad example."

"What, like me? But you never said things as bad as that to me, did you? Why her?"

"She is a Hallow, and unlike you, that means she should be setting an example!"

"Did you know she was being abused?" Mildred 's time was quiet and calm, but very icy. "Her own parents abused her. Did you even consider that?" Miss Hardbroom looked at Mildred in shock and transferred them to Miss Cackle's office.

"What has she done now?" Miss Cackle sighed, exasperated.

"Miss Hubble, tell the headmistress what you just told me."

"Did you know Miles Cackle, that three of your students are being abused?"

"What? Mildred, that is a very serious accusation -"

"Sybil Hallow admitted it to me herself! She was terrified about me coming to tell you!"

"Mr and Mrs Hallow are well respected adults, they-"

"I don't care about your personal opinion Miss Hardbroom, I care about the facts! Call them here, if you don't believe me!" Miss Cackle and Miss Hardbroom shared a look.

"Very well." Miss Hardbroom summoned each Hallow sister, one by one.

"Miss Cackle, have we done something wrong?" Esmeralda asked. Sybil saw Mildred glaring at the teachers with her eyes full of fury, and grabbed Esme's arm.

"Girls, have a seat." They all sat down, except for Mildred and Miss Hardbroom, who were still glaring at each other.

"Sybil dear, Mildred said you told her that your parents are abusing you. Is that true?" Sybil went rigid and clutched at Esme, who looked terrified. Ethel had gone pale.

"Sybil, if you can't say it, just not or shake." Mildred said, still unmoving. She was furious with the teachers for not realizing sooner. Especially Miss Hardbroom, who bullied the youngest hallow mercilessly in her classes.

Sybil took a deep breath, and nodded.

"Mildred, you may go. Hecate, come and sit down." Miss Cackle could tell Mildred was about to start yelling at the deputy headmistress if she didn't step in, which wouldn't help anyone. 

Mildred nodded and walked out of the office, sending one last glare at Miss Hardbroom before closing the door behind her. Miss Hardbroom refused to sit, and instead chose to hover behind Miss Cackle's chair.

"Now girls, you need to tell us exactly what they have done to you. Start at the beginning, please."


	2. Things will get better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the worst witch. Thank you to everyone who has left comments, they make my day!

Ethel stood at the top of the West tower, staring out into the open night sky. Whatever had just happened was not good. Esme and Sybil had really messed up, by telling the teachers everything. And now her parents would take it out on her. Great. Ethel absent mindedly fingered the most recent burn marks on her arm. Her mother had held her arm over a small bonfire as punishment for something so petty she couldn't even remember. That was six weeks ago, before they came back to school, but the blisters were still red and sore. They were black for the first few weeks, so at least they had improved.

She stepped closer to the edge. She came up here almost every night, it was her place. She would stand at the edge and imagine jumping off, falling through the air and then sprouting wings, flying away forever. Today however, like alot the past few weeks, her thoughts were darker. She could just jump, end it all, never get hurt again...

She put her toes over the edge of the tower, looking down. It was a long way to the ground, she definitely wouldn't live. She stiffened her resolve and prepared to jump, tears trickling down her cheeks.

"Don't." A soft voice said behind her. She whipped around and saw Mildred Hubble standing a few feet away, candle on the floor next to her. Her pyjamas were too big and her hair was longer than Ethel thought, tumbling all the way past her shoulders and down to her waist. It shone in the candlelight.

"Why do you care, Hubble?" Ethel spat. 

"Because no matter how much you hate me, I don't hate you. Don't jump."

Ethel laughed sharply. "You have no idea what I've been through! You have a perfect life, with a mother who loves you and would do anything for you! Me? My parents don't care, they never have. it's all Esme, Esme, Esme! and even then they still hurt her. And Sybil! Every day all I see is the pain on their faces, and Mother and Father's smug smirks. You don't no what it's like!"

"No, I don't, but I don't the perfect life you think I have. My mum has to work all the time, so I barely see her, and I don't even know my dad. Every day here I get mocked and ridiculed for being myself. But I'm not here to talk about my problems. Yes, your life sounds shit, but think of your sisters. They would miss you like crazy, blame themselves."

Ethel hesitated. She didn't want to cause her sisters unnecessary pain. But she didn't move from the edge. It's like she was frozen in place.

"Why would they want me? I cause them pain by being here anyway."

"That's not true."

"What do you know, Mildred Hubble? You aren't from a witching family, so you have no idea what it's like!"

"I know when someone needs help, and you need all the help you can get, Ethel." Ethel scoffed, still not moving, but looking less determined to jump. 

"Seriously though, why do you care?" Ethel asked.

"I look up to you. You're the witch I can never be. You know all the answers, you get full marks in everything, you can actually do magic!" Ethel stopped frowning.

"But I'm horrible to you. Why would you look up to me?"

"True, but I've seen you help the first years, and how your face lights up whenever they do something correctly. I know you have a heart. You just take out all the bottled anger on me." 

Ethel let more tears slide down her cheeks. Mildred held out her hand.

"Take my hand, Ethel. Please." Ethel hesitated ,then tentatively put her hand in Mildred's, and let her tug her away from the edge. Mildred led her into the tower and pulled out an old blanket from a box and pulled them both down to sit on it. She layed back and looked up at the stars. Ethel did the same.

"I'm sorry. For everything."

"Don't be. I do the same, I don't know how Enid and Maud put up with me sometimes." Ethel chuckled and Mildred grinned at her.

"Thank you for stopping me, and looking after Sybil."

"That's what friends are for!"

"We're friends?"

"If you want to be."

"I'd like that." Ethel said and the two enemies, now friends, left the tower to catch a few hours of sleep before Miss Hardbroom yelled at them to get up or they would miss breakfast.


	3. True Hubbles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the worst witch. Sorry for the slow updates, but please let me know what you think so far.

"Please mum, I know you have work, but they have nowhere to go!" Julie Hubble sighed and pinched her forehead.

"I don't know, Millie. Look, let me come up the school and speak to the teachers, we'll figure something out, ok?"

"You're the best mum!" Mildred hung up the mirror, walking to breakfast with a spring in her step.

"You look cheerful."

"It's a lovely morning."

"You hate mornings."

"What gave you that impression?" Mildred wrinkled her nose. Maud and Ethel shared a look. Mildred was so proud of her friends, they had accepted Ethel after an apology and Ethel told them a bit about her home life. Felicity was also a part of the group too.

"Oh, I don't know, how about your never up on time-"

"You never tie your laces-"

"It takes you half an hour to get dressed, and even then you're scruffy-"

"You're always late to breakfast-"

"You can't focus in lessons-"

"You-"

"Okay, I get it, I'm not a morning person. But I can turn over a new leaf if I want to!" 

"Millie, however much you want to, you will never be a morning person."

"I am today, even my shoelaces are tied!" She pointed at her boots, which were tied in a neat bow.

"Well I never, she actually did it!" Enid exclaimed jokingly. Mildred scowled playfully at her and then grinned to herself. The topic change worked then.

Suddenly, their maglets chimed and before anyone knew it, Mildred had thrown her empty porrige bowl at Felicity. It hit her in the face.

Everyone looked confused before reading Felicity's most recent article.

_Mildred tied her shoes_

_In a feat never seen before, Mildred Hubble, Second year student, tied up both her shoelaces neatly for the first time this morning, claiming to have turned over a new leaf. Even her stockings were the same height and her hair was neat._

_But the real question is, how long will she last before falling back into her old routine? How will Miss Hardbroom react to the new and improved Mildred Hubble?_

"How did you write that so quickly?" Maud asked in awe, while Enid and Ethel lightly teased Mildred.

"Practice." Felicity said, watching as several students read it, laughed, and then patted Mildred on the back and congratulated her. She went red and buried her face in her hands, to her friends amusement.

"So Mildred Hubble can tie her own shoes. Impressive."

"Not you too." Mildred groaned as her teacher smirked. "Unless it means you'll go easier on me?"

"Well, seeing as you have proved you can do something so simple as tie a knot, we'll have to make things a bit harder for you, won't we?" 

"If you leave Sybil alone." Mildred said. She still hasn't forgiven the teacher for how she treated the youngest Hallow. Esmeralda and Ethel were in two minds about it.

"We shall see. Were you aware your mother is coming to the school this afternoon?"

"Yup. She wanted to talk to Miss Cackle and You, and I have a mission to complete."

"Oh?"

"Set Mum up with Miss Drill."

"Why would you do that?"

"Have you seen the way they look at each other?" 

"You really shouldn't discuss such things with your teachers Miss Hubble. Good day." Miss Hardbroom resumed walking out of the hall.

"Are you really setting your mum up with Drill?" Enid asked.

Mildred quickly snatched the Maglet out of Felicity's hands. "Hey!"

"Sorry, but you can't publish propaganda. No, I'm not, but I knew HB would get uncomfortable and go away. I should probably warn Miss Drill. And mum" She sped off.

"What about my- nevermind." Enid laughed and linked her arm with Felicity's .

"She'll remember she has it later and give it back, don't worry." Felicity grinned and the four girls walked out of the hall.

* * *

Julie Hubble paid the driver and got out of the car, knowing he couldn't see the castle.

"Why are you up here alone? There's nothing here."

"There is it you know where to look."

"Fair enough." He drove off and Julie entered the castle. It was clearly lesson time, as the hallways were silent. She may as well learn her way around, the current situation might mean she has to stay longer. She was about to walk down the corridor when a witch appeared in a flash of pink. Oh, wait, no, it was the witch who was pink, not the flash.

"Who are you?" Both said at the same time.

"Julie Hubble."

"Ah, Mildred's mother I presume. She's a good kid, lots of potential."

"At least someone thinks so. They don't treat her the best here, but she insists on staying."

"She's a determind little witch, she'll pull through. I'm Pippa Pentangle, call me Pippa."

"Call me Julie. You were the teacher who came here for the spelling bee, weren't you. Pentangle sounds familiar."

"Indeed I am."

"Mildred looks up to you."

"Does she? I have to be honest, I look up to her, she's a brilliant child. Can you hear that?" Both women fell silent and strained their ears. They could just make out the sound of footsteps going back and forth.

They looked at each other and walked towards the sound to find a small blonde eleven year old pacing up and down a side corridor.

"Oh, sorry, I'll just go." She stammered when she saw the Adults watching her.

"No, please stay."

Sybil hesitated, but stopped, looking at the floor.

"What's you name love?"

"Sybil. Sybil Hallow."

"And what's bothering you?"

"Who, me? I'm not bothered, what have you that impression? I was just stretching my legs."

"Really? Outside the potions classroom of the schools most formidable teacher whilst the rest your class are inside?" Sybil blushed.

"Were you sent out? " Julie asked.

"No, but I walked out last lesson, and I stopped going to potions after that, I just couldn't face her."

"She is a bit scary when she is mad, isn't she? You know, she's hardest on the people she sees the greatest potential in." Pippa said. " For instance, she sees Mildred could be an outstanding witch one day, so she is hard on her. It's the same with you, she told me."

"Why would she tell you?"

"I'll let you in on a little secret. " she bent down and whispered in Sybil's ear.

"Tell you what, why don't we come in with you, I'm sure Pippa can keep her in line." Julie said with a knowing smile. The two had hit it off straight away. Pippa elbowed her playfully, but the deep blush on her cheeks was real.

"Okay." Sybil took a deep breath. "Lets go." Julie opened the door and nudged Sybil inside, her and Pippa following.

"Miss Hallow, you finally decided to come back. Sit, and don't make a sound. There will be repercussions for this."

Pippa cleared her throat. "Hello Hecate!" She said cheerfully. "Leave the poor mite alone, she's has alot on her mind."

"That's no excuse for stopping coming to lessons."

"Like I said, she's had a lot on her mind." Pippa walked closer to Miss Hardbroom and whispered to her.

"She's an abused kid, and the reason I am here, and you are not making things any easier. Please, leave her alone, she's terrified of you."

"But-" 

Pippa gave her puppy dog eyes. "Oh, fine. Miss Hallow, I....apologize if I have made you feel uncomfortable." 

Pippa and Julie shared a satisfied smirk, and silently decided between the two of them to watch the lesson. Pippa casually walked between the desks, correcting students and answering their questions, no matter how ridiculous, as she went. If it was anyone else, Hecate would have been furious, but as it was Pippa, it was ok. Especially as she was completely in her element. Hecate might be the better potions brewer, but Pippa was by far the best with children. 

"Too be quite honest Sybil, I haven't got a clue what you're even doing, so don't put yourself down." Julie muttered to her.

"You don't do potions at normal school?"

"Of course not. What do you know about the non magical world, Sybil?"

"Um, nothing really, except what Mildred has told me. No one else really does either."

"No one teaches you normal life skills like cooking, and cleaning without magic, and bills,and taxes and things?"

"No. Who's bill?"

"Bills aren't a person, they are a form of payment. You know what, I think it is night time you young witches were taught about real life and the world you live in as a whole, don't you?"

"I...guess so?"

"Brilliant idea Julie, just maybe speak to Ada when He ate isn't around." Pippa said with a meaningful look at the formidable potions mistress.

"I think I will. You're doing great Sybil, well done!"

"I am?"

"Well, to be honest I have no flipping clue, but you got it to be a different colour, so that's an A+ from me." Sybil furrowed her brow and Pippa laughed.

"It's exactly the right colour Sybil love. You two as well."

Bea and Clarice looked surprised at being included in the converstion. 

"Thank you Miss.."

"Pentangle."

"Clarice Twigg."

"Beatrice Bunch, Bea for short."

"Okay then 'Bea for short'. " Julie said with a very contagious smile. Even Clarice smiled back happily. Pippa began wandering around again, with Hecate this time, the two talking in hushed tones while Pippa stopped to answer the odd question or two and Hecate stopped any fatal mistakes.

With Pippa's sunny personality and Julie's humour added to Hecate's competence, it was one of the best lessons the first years had ever had 

* * *

"So yeah, If Miss Hardbroom says anything, you'll know it isn't true. I just needed a cover." Mildred looked at the two women and saw an expression she knew far too well. She gulped nervously.

And that is how Mildred Hubble found out her mum is dating her teacher, and Miss Hardbroom already knew and therefore never believed her in the first place.

Mildred just tried not to think about it.


End file.
